Evaluation of Marginal and Internal Fit of Presintered Co-Cr and Zirconia Three-Unit Fixed Dental Prosthesis Compared to Cast Co-Cr.

Abstract

The precision of soft metal processing technologies is poorly documented. This study compared marginal and internal fit of presintered cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) and zirconia three-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) to cast Co-Cr. Three-unit FDPs were prepared on metal dies (N = 60) from typodont preparations of the maxillary right first premolar and molar. A standardized preparation of a metal-ceramic restoration was done on abutment teeth. The dies (N = 60) were scanned and divided into three groups (n = 20/group) to receive the FDP made of presintered Co-Cr (Ceramill Si), presintered zirconia (Ceramill Zi), and cast Co-Cr (Girobond NB). Each framework was seated on its specific cast. A replica technique was used for marginal and internal discrepancies measurements in mesiodistal and buccolingual planes. Data were analyzed using the Levene test, t-test, and analysis of variance (α = 0.05). When the overall mean discrepancy values were compared in the mesiodistal plane, a significant difference was found between Ceramill Sintron and Ceramill Zi groups (p = 0.026). No significant difference was detected between Girobond NB and Ceramill Sintron groups and between Girobond NB and Ceramill Zi groups (p = 0.537 and p = 0.569, respectively). In the buccolingual plane, there was no significant difference in the overall mean discrepancy between the three groups: CS/CZ (p = 1.000), GI/CS (p = 0.51), and GI/CZ (p = 0.87). Significant differences at several measurement points were found at the inter or intramaterial level. The increase in discrepancy values between marginal and occlusal measurements was evident for the three groups. Presintered three-unit FDPs fabricated from zirconia and Co-Cr exhibited internal and marginal discrepancy values similar to cast Co-Cr. A significant difference was reported between CS and CZ in mesiodistal planes. The axial and marginal differences in values for the three tested groups were below or around the 120 µm clinically acceptable threshold except for the occlusal area. When comparing first premolar to first molar, the internal and marginal discrepancies were similar with no apparent distortion of the framework after the sintering process.